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Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Today when I 'play' twitter like I usually do, a friend of mine, wrote something interesting which I will translate into English: "Don't teach God how He going to bless you." I found myself thinking about this the whole day. It's pretty much related on what I had my mind these days, what been discussed with my Warna Warni Mimpi's partner, which I appreciate, respect so much by the way he transform his problem into the way to glorified the Lord. And of course what had been shared by both my young Pastors.

I have a good news on this, we Christian are blessed and will be blessed. And it has nothing to do with the lists of things we have to do.

New International Version | MATTHEW 7:7 | "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."

However before we get into the prayer, let's remember one thing:

Prayer is a communication based on relationship not only a list of request.

God wants us to communicate with Him as His friend, His lover, not just because it is what we "have to do as a Christian". We often heard the responsible we have to do as a Christian, such as wake up in the morning, read the Bible, and pray. And we did that, wake up early even when we sleep very late at night, and being a little 'proud' that we had pay the price as a Christian. :) Tell ya a lil secret... my prayer time, the time while I connected the most to Jesus is at night while everyone slept and I have my night all alone. :) The best time I have.

Being a Christian is more than that. Prayer is communication between a lover to a lover.
It is just when we close our phone tonight and sleep, and can't wait to united again tomorrow morning with our lover. Same as us longing to united again with Christ in eternity one day.

I pray that in my limited ability to share, when you read this you can step in to a deeper understanding of God and His blessing, and His grace once again. And God will take you burden away and fill you with His love.

Many Christians, including me, had been trapped in to the situation in "pray hard and work hard" to get God's blessing. The sign of these usually shown when we been working too hard or trying too hard. Or even worse, catch our self thrown into depression. We forget that everything are by the grace. And not by our power, but by HIS POWER.

PS: I have to add this, that I, too, had been trapped into the 1st situation, I work too hard and almost fall in to depression until I realize that I had been "out of grace".

Some also use other method. Bless others, donate, doing charity, pay our tithe.. and expecting God's blessing as the result. Expecting God's blessing is NOT wrong. IT IS written in the Bible. But we can not manipulate God to send us blessing. We have to understand fully that IF God bless us, it's SIMPLY because: HE LOVES US. Nothing else.

He gives because He loves us.
He loves us, and He bless us because of that.
that simple.

We are not blessed because:
1. We pray 10x a day
2. We doing a big charity to other people
3. We pay our tithe
4. We work harder
5. We work less
6. We are smarter
7. We are better
8. We are holier
9. We are loyal
10. We read the Bible A LOT
and the list go on.

And if that is the list to be blessed, I am surely will turn to be the poorest creature ever, as I have none of the lists in me.

We are blessed because of grace. And it has nothing to do with what we do, or WHO we are.

Let's not get trapped into the situation and thinking that because we ARE holy then we are blessed.
Because we, human, can never be holy if it is not because of God.
It is written in the Bible:

New International Version | 1 PETER 1:16 | for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."

Which means: It is GOD that makes you holy. Without God, you will never NEVER be holy. Holiness has nothing to do with your effort. Same as you can not work hard to be holy and get blessed.

Remember there's a darkness age in the Corinthian church (Read Corinthian 3). Even at the moment Paul said:

New International Version | 1 COR 3:16 | Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?
Paul said, you ARE, not you WERE. Even after all the sins they had done, Paul still mention that they are God's temple. Holiness has nothing to do with what you do. Again it is God's grace.

Let's get back to prayer and blessing. :)
We can just take an easy conclusion that BLESSING = 100% GRACE

Grace can pick people up from the deepest valley into the top of mountain.
Grace can pick people up from the darkest night to the brightest sunshine.

If you have a little time to read, 2 SAMUEL 9 is talking about Mephibosheth
He is a son of Jonathan, David's best friend. Mephibosheth was crippled in both feet. And in that century he is useless & wasted. But because David knows his father:

2 SAMUEL 9:7 | “Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.”

This turns to be Mephibosheth's happily ever after life:

2 SAMUEL 9:13 | And Mephibosheth, who was crippled in both feet, lived in Jerusalem and ate regularly at the king's table.

This is such a good news! Because Kitty doesn't have to be super Kitty or super holy Kitty to eat in the same table with the King.
Kitty doesn't have to be super smart Kitty or super creative Kitty, or super popular Kitty, - you name it - to eat in the same table with the King.
Because, believe me or not, EACH OF US have our own disability. No matter it's labeled or not. We are all broken people. But because the KING knows we are owned by Jesus, Our Savior. We will be able to sit next to the King.

Dianne Rigdon just add a precious message under this post, I am so blessed that I think I should add this to this post:

New International Version | EPHESIANS 2:8 | "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God"

Thank you so much for reading. :)
Song for today is: Amazing Grace {My Chains are Gone}.

Now I wanna share with you some freebie me & Sara Gleason of Zinnias & Swallowtails created for you.Sara made this template inspired by God's majesty. Every of her creation are delighful.. as her sweet spirit. ♥

"prayer is a communication based on relationship..." so true. i am guilty of not praying/not having a constant relationship with God & im not proud of it. =( i know that only by His grace we can have that relationship with Him. thank you kitty for sharing this. truly inspiring. ♥

Dear Kitty -- you blessed me greatly with this post. You are an encourager! 1 Peter 4:10-11: "Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God...so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ."

@{darlene}, thank u so much for stopping by here at my blog, are you from the scrapping community, too? Blessing to you and family.. and btw out of the context but Darlene Zschech is pretty much inspire me in worship. :)

@Janneke, you are so welcome.. and blessing to you and everyone you love and may the grace of the Lord took you deeper and deeper in love with Him..

@Crystal, thank you, my dear friend.. and thank u for also always being a blessing with your sweet spirit... ♥

@JanetB Designs, THANK U sooooo much for the beautiful Bible verse, "in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.." all the glory for Christ alone...

@CBH, thank u sooo much for always taking a time to post all the freebies alround the digi land.. u rocks..

Hi Kitty,Thank you so much for your freebie! But thank you MORE for your words and all this scripture. In my quiet time today my message was WISDOM, and I was a bit puzzled as to why. Because of your post, I realized what it is about wisdom: God gives it readily, gladly, and without resentment. Just as He gives grace and all his gifts without resentment. I want to be able to give with the same heart: full of love and joy to be of service.

Then I read Dianne's biblical reminder that I am saved not because of anything I did, but because I am loved.

Kitty, I thank God for your boldness and not being afraid or ashamed of declaring who He is "God all Mighty" and that you have a relationship with Him. So many people say they are Christians but they don't have a relationship with Christ and therefore are afraid to declare who He is. I thank God for you and the gift He has put in your hand. Continue to share Him and He will always give you opportunities whereby He can get Glory out of your life as you share with those that don't know this Great God we serve.

Eph. 2: 8 was quoted above, but let's not leave out the "meat" that follows in 2:9 and 10 which says..."not as a result of works, that no one should boast. For we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. See also Matt. 5:16; James 2:18,2:20 and 2:26.